As we open our 36th year as an independent school on John's Island, we are excited about the possibilities that this school offers to the Lowcountry communities. The founders of this school had a vision for good education for the residents of John's Island and for their children in generations to follow. The wisdom of this group has placed the school in a position to continue to grow and develop as educational needs in this country change. Our children face strong challenges from the entire world as they pass from their early learning experiences to the later depths of educational programs. We want to help them meet this challenge.

Charleston Collegiate School is a product of many communities and diverse peoples. The groups include the original inhabitants of John's Island and surrounding rural communities, including those of African-Americans who have been here for many years, of settlers of Seabrook and Kiawah, of Latin Americans who have come lately to the island, and of folks from a wide variety of surrounding areas as far north as Awendaw and as far south as Edisto. We here at Charleston Collegiate are proud to have a blend of all these peoples in our school community.

As a member of several state, regional, and national educational organizations, Charleston Collegiate takes a leading role in the ongoing development and improvement of independent education. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and has been very involved in those organizations. It is a member of the Palmetto Association of Independent Schools, the South Carolina Independent School Association, the Southern Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Center for Independent School Renewal, and the Education Records Bureau. Charleston Collegiate is also an affiliate school of the Coalition of Essential Schools.

Currently the school enrolls about 275 students, and that enrollment increases each year. We feel that it will continue to grow, and we have plans to create new programs and new facilities in the near future. In every way, Charleston Collegiate School is poised to serve its various communities as we move into the 21st century. We are becoming one of the most interesting small schools in the nation. We are a learning community where everybody matters.

J. Robert (Bob) Shirley, PhD
Head of School
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